Benton County, Tennessee
Benton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2000, the population is 16,537. The 2005 Census Estimate placed the population at 16,467 http://www.census.gov/popest/counties/tables/CO-EST2005-01-47.xls. Its county seat is Camden6. Benton County is located in northwest Tennessee, bordering the western branch of the Tennessee River and 30 miles south of the Kentucky border. Aside from Camden, other major communities include agrarian communities Big Sandy and Holladay. It is known well in the area for its duck hunting and fishing industries, and in the past, was recognized for sorghum production, although it is no longer produced there. Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,130 km² (436 sq mi). 1,023 km² (395 sq mi) of it is land and 107 km² (41 sq mi) of it (9.48%) is water. History Benton County was formed in 1835 from part of Humphreys County. It was named in honor of David Benton (1779-1860), who was a member of the Third Regiment, Tennessee Militia in the Creek war and an early settler in the county. Demographics census data]] As of the census2 of 2000, there were 16,537 people, 6,863 households, and 4,886 families residing in the county. The population density was 16/km² (42/sq mi). There were 8,595 housing units at an average density of 8/km² (22/sq mi). The racial makeup of the county was 96.44% White, 2.10% Black or African American, 0.33% Native American, 0.24% Asian, 0.20% from other races, and 0.69% from two or more races. 0.95% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 6,863 households out of which 27.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.10% were married couples living together, 9.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.80% were non-families. 25.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.82. In the county, the population was spread out with 22.00% under the age of 18, 7.00% from 18 to 24, 26.20% from 25 to 44, 27.00% from 45 to 64, and 17.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 93.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.40 males. The median income for a household in the county was $28,679, and the median income for a family was $32,727. Males had a median income of $29,177 versus $19,038 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,646. About 11.90% of families and 15.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.90% of those under age 18 and 11.70% of those age 65 or over. Media Radio Stations *WAKQ-FM 105.5 "Today's Best Music with Ace & TJ in the Morning" *WTPR-AM 710 "The Greatest Hits of All Time" *WTPR-FM 101.7 "The Greatest Hits of All Time" Adjacent Counties *Stewart County (northeast) *Houston County (northeast) *Humphreys County (east) *Perry County (southeast) *Decatur County (south) *Carroll County (west) *Henry County (northwest) Parks and Recreation *Nathan Bedford Forest State Park *Natchez Trace State Park Cities and towns *Big Sandy *Camden References External links Category:Benton County, Tennessee Category:Counties of Tennessee Category:Established in 1835